Hand-operated machine for cutting wood and like materials



Oct. 30, 1934. A, L. TURNER AL 1,978,557

HAND OPERATED MACHINE FOR CUTTING WOOD AND LIKE MATERIALS Filed Jan. 20, 1933 2 Sheets- -sheet 1 Minn lmllwllw.

Oct. 30, 1934. A. TURNER ET AL.

HAND OPERATED MAQHINE FOR CUTTING WOOD AND LIKE MATERIALS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 20, 1933 Fatented Got. 30, 1934 PATENT OFFICE HAND-OPERATED MACHINE FOB. CUTTING WOOD AND LIKE IWATERIALS Alexander Leslie Turner and Ernest Walter Underwood, Birmingham, England Application January 20, 1933, Serial No. 652,732 In Great Britain January 22, 1932 Claims.

This invention relates to a new or improved hand-operated machine for cutting wood and like materials, the machine being primarily designed for cutting wood across the grain or for mitring it or cutting it at an angle.

The object of our invention is to provide a machine for this purpose which is extremely simple, compact and strong in construction, is very effective in use, and has no parts liable to break or get out of order.

In a machine according to our invention the body is a casting or the like of flattened C or equivalent outline having a horizontal gap of substantial length extending in from one end between two spaced jaw parts. The material to be cut is adapted to be placed on a bed or cutting surface of fibre, soft metal or other suitable material which is mounted in the jaw part of the body forming the lower edge of the gap and "m vertically adjustable therein, and the knife or cutting blade is pivotally mounted at one end in or upon the upper jaw part of the body adjacent to the inner end of the gap, and at its other end the blade is provided with any convenient hand-operated means for raising or lowering it. In a preferred arrangement the outer end of the blade has rotatably mounted in it a short spindle carrying a toothed pinion or segment meshing with a stationary toothed segmental rack on the outer end of the upper jaw, and the rotatable pinion or segment is provided with a lever handle for rotating it to bring the blade down with very considerable pressure. Alternatively a cam, toggle or equivalent device may be employed to'givethe same movement. I

The blade is preferably mounted in a longitudinal vertical slot in the upper jaw so that it is supported on both sides, and its inner end 40' is pivoted on a stud or bolt passing horizontally through the body. Where this arrangement is employed the rotatable pinion or segment and the segmental rack with which it meshes are preferably duplicated on opposite sides of the buter end of the blade.

When the blade is lowered to the full extent its bottom cutting edge is substantially horizontal and in contact with the bed for its full length. When the blade becomes blunt it can readily be removed for grindingor sharpening, and if desired the blade can be reversed, the pivot pin then passing through the hole in which the pinion spindle was mounted and vice versa. Costs of maintenance and. repair are thus reducedto a v minimum.

The bed is conveniently mounted in a longitudinal recess in the lower jaw, part of the body and can be adjusted vertically either by placing packing below it or by providing a num- V ber of adjusting studs extending vertically upfill wards through the jaw and bearing against the bottom of the bed or of a plate on which it rests. The bed may be of wood, fibre or like material or of soft metal such as lead or copper.

One practical form of cutter in accordance with our invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine.

Figure 2 is a front elevation.

Figure 3 is a plan with the knife-operating means removed.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a view in front elevation with the base in section.

In the machine illustrated the body is a casting of flattened c outline having a base or lower jaw part a to support the cutting bed and an upper jaw part b in which the knife is mounted, with a horizontal gap of substantial length extending in from one end between these parts. The base is provided with lugs c by which it can be bolted down on a bench or the like, and the remainder of the body is preferably of H section as shown in Figure 4 to give strength and rigidity without undue weight.

The cutting bed d is formed by a bar or strip of fibre or othersuitable material which is mounted in a longitudinal horizontal recess in the upper face of the lower jaw part a of the body and rests on a number of thin sheet metal packing strips e in the bottom of the recess so that the bed can be adjusted vertically by adding or re-- moving packing strips. Alternatively the bed may be adjustably supported on adjusting studs extending vertically upwards through the bottom of the rcess'and bearing against the'bottom of the bed or of a plate in which it rests, as shown in Fig. 5. The upper surface of the bed may be slightly convex and preferably stands above the side flanges defining the recess. To prevent accidental movement of the bed it may be located by grub screws d passing through one flange of the recess into slots or grooves in the bed.

The cutting blade I is of rectangular outline and is mounted in a longitudinal vertical slot g in the upper jaw part 22, being pivoted near one end on a transverse removablebolt o'r stud h passing horizontally through the body. The other end of the knife enters a central slot 7 in an arm 7c which is pivotally mounted on the knife by means of a transverse stud or bolt Z. The upper end of the arm is adapted to receive a tubular or other handle m and its lower end carries a toothed segment 12, meshing with a toothed segmental rack 0 on the free end of the jaw part b, the teeth being duplicated on each side of the slots g and 7' as shown in Figure 2.

Thus as the handle m is swung forwardly and downwardly the toothed segment n meshing with the stationary segment 0 brings the blade down with very considerable pressure until its cutting edge meets the bed (1 in which position the bottom cutting edge of the blade is substantially horizontal and in contact with the bed throughout its length.

It will be obvious that as the blade is pivoted adjacent to one end but at a point above the cutting edge the eirect is to give a slicing out so that little power is required and a very clean cut is obtained.

The blade can readily be removed at any time for grinding or sharpening, and preferably the holes in the blade through which the studs or bolts h and Z pass are symmetrically disposed so that the blade can be reversed and costs of maintenance and repair are reduced to a minimum.

For mitring wood or cutting it at an angle spaced lugs 29 are preferably provided on one side side of the lower jaw part as shown in Figures 3 and 4 and an angularly adjustable guide plate q is fitted into any one of these lugs according to the width of the wood.

Our improved cutter will cut across the grain wood of substantial thickness and of any length within the capacity of the blade, and results in a very considerable saving of time as compared with sawing.

We claim:

1. A hand-operated machine for cutting wood and like materials comprising a rigid body of flattened C outline having a horizontal gap of substantial length extending in from one end between two spaced jaw parts one above the other, the upper jaw part having a longitudinal vertical slot, a cutting bed of relatively soft material supported in the upper surface of the lower jaw part, a cutting blade arranged within said slot in such relation to the jaw parts as to have its lateral movement restricted thereby, a pivot for one end of said blade adjacent to the inner end of the gap, duplicate stationary toothed segments on the free end of the upper jaw part on each side of said slot, a slotted lever fitting over the free end of the cutting blade and pivoted on a transverse pin therein, and duplicate toothed segments on the lever on each side of the blade meshing with the toothed segments on the upper jaw part.

2. A hand-operated machine for cutting wood and like materials comprising a rigid body of flattened C outline having a horizontal gap of substantial length extending in from one end between two spaced jaw parts one above the other, the upper jaw part having a longitudinal vertical slot, a cutting bed of relatively soft material mounted in a horizontal longitudinal recess in the upper surface of the lower jaw part, means for adjusting said cutting bed vertically within said recess, a cutting blade pivotally mounted at one end in the upper jaw part adjacent to the inner end of the gap and in said slot, and handoperated means for raising and lowering the free end of the blade.

3. A hand-operated machine for cutting wood and like materials comprising a rigid body of flattened C outline having a horizontal gap of substantiallength extending in from one end between two spaced jaw parts, a cutting bed of relatively soft material supported in the upper surface of the lower jaw part, a cutting blade pivotally mounted at one end in the upper jaw part adjacent to the inner end of the gap, handoperated means for raising and lowering the free end of said blade, spaced lugs on the side of the lower jaw part, and an angularly adjustable guide plate adapted to be received in any one of said lugs.

4. A hand-operated machine for cutting wood and like materials comprising a rigid body of flattened c outline having a horizontal gap of substantial length extending in from one end between two spaced jaw parts, a cutting bed of relatively soft material supported in the upper surface of the lower jaw part, a cutting blade of rectangular outline mounted in the upper jaw part, a pivot for one end of said blade formed by a pin passing through the upper jaw part adjacent to the inner end of the gap and through an aperture in the blade, and hand-operated means for raising and lowering the other end of the blade mounted on a second pin passing through a second aperture in the blade, the apertures in the blade being symmetrically disposed so that the blade can be reversed when worn.

5. A hand-operated machine for cutting wood and like materials comprising a rigid body formed by upper and lower spaced jaw parts integrally connected at one end and having a horizontal gap of substantial length extending in from the other end between them, the upper jaw part having a longitudinal vertical slot, a cutting bed of relatively soft material supported in the upper surface of the lower jaw part, means for adjusting said cutting bed in a vertical direction, a

cutting blade fitting within said slot so that it 

